Summer is a busy season with longer days and more to do. It's also hotter! I find myself on a different work schedule than in spring, autumn, and winter.
The seasonal gist is that I try to get all my planting done before our summer dry spell. There's no way to predict this, of course, so I just have to be diligent and hope I get everything in the ground in time to get a couple of good spring rains. Hopefully, everything is growing by early summer, so I shift to mulching. My goal is to get everything deeply mulched before the harvest kicks into full gear. Once that starts, the only garden time I get is picking. The rest of the day is spent preparing, canning, drying, or freezing the harvest.
My daily schedule changes too. In winter, I do indoor stuff in the mornings, waiting to go outside until after it warms up. In summer, I'm out as early as possible to beat the heat. By about 9 or 9:30 a.m., the sun is too intense and too hot to work in. So, I switch to indoor tasks or projects I can do in the shade.
How about you? Do you change schedules according to the season?
11 comments:
Absolutely. My schedule is probably changed more than yours because of our more extreme seasonal changes. Right now I'm grouchy and irritated because my body rhythms seem to be functioning according the natural light. I can't seem to wind down physical activities at night because of longer daylight hours and then when it begins to dawn at 4 a.m. (ouch) I have trouble staying asleep! Oh, the hassle of it all. ;o)
Yep, sure do. Since I work outside, my clients are flexible and we work around the weather. It also ensures that I get some time off when it rains, snows, etc. My household chores are also dictated by the time of year. I love living with this rhythm.
Mama Pea, good point! I do miss being able to sleep in until 5:30 like in winter. :)
Daisy, that's great that your clients are flexible! That makes work so much more enjoyable. In the long run, I think a seasonal schedule keeps a good balance in life. I feel more in touch with nature too.
Mine changes for all the reasons you listed. Our recent trip to the garden started at dawn and was over by 10:30 due to intense sun. We had a long siesta and then went out again in the evening to do other things. Winter is exactly opposite.
Same here Leigh. In Summer, anything out of doors shifts to before 0800 or after 1800 at least, if not 1900 (I say this: I am writing this as I prepare to to go out to mow the lawn). Even if the heat is bearable, the humidity certainly is not!
Ed, a siesta is a great idea! Especially when it's just too hot to move around much.
TB, yes, the humidity makes the heat so much worse. I think it's more draining than dry heat (which I'm not too fond of either.)
Yup, schedules change seasonally. heat and humidity once summer truly sets in means slowing down and doing inside or shady chores mid-day. Gardening gets affected by both weather and mosquitoes though. This time of year it's easy to get things done as the temperatures are pretty moderate all day. Winter though, it never seems to warm up during the day, at least enough to make a difference, so I just bundle up and trudge through the snow and stupid cold when I absolutely have to.I'd be able to sleep past 5 am if the always hungry cat didn't try to wake me up every darned morning to see if I'll feed him early. I don't get up to feed him then and he has never stopped trying!
Yes, I find my schedule shifting with the daylight hours. I work FT and have other obligations, so there's always "shifting" to maintain those and still care for animals, seasonal garden, yard maintenance, and getting in a walk/hike/snowshoe when possible. Like everyone else, winter cold and summer heat dictate when and how much time I get outdoors. (Spring & fall are my favorite, but they're too short!!)
Looking forward to retirement when I can allow more of that seasonal rhythm to guide my waking/sleeping and animal/garden/nature time. It's the BEST for my soul.
I do change schedules depending on the weather for sure. I have cut back quite a bit on outside work...just some herbs and flowers to water, some trimming, and feeding the birds and the hummers. I wish I could garden but now I can't eat most of it anyway...lol!
Nina, that's too funny about your cat. Apparently, you aren't very trainable(!) but he doesn't give up on you. :)
Good point about mosquitoes. I often have to put up with no-see-ems in the cool of the morning, which takes some of the fun out of working in the garden.
Kathy, my hat's off to you for working full time plus keeping critters and a garden. I'm guessing you'll thrive when you retire!
Sam, gardens can produce a lot of food for one person! I like that you still have herbs and flowers. Every little bit helps.
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